Turning for home in the Suncoast Stakes at Tampa Bay Downs Feb. 11, most of the fan focus must have been on the stalking Wonder Wheel—the returning champion 2-Year-Old Filly of 2022—and the fast-advancing Julia Shining, winner of the Demoiselle Stakes (G2) on her previous start and a sister to two-time Eclipse Award winner Malathaat.
Assumptions, however, that the longtime leader, Dreaming of Snow—a 38-1 shot—was about to be swallowed up, proved wide of the mark. Staying on in the most determined fashion, the diminutive Florida-bred repelled Wonder Wheel through the length of the stretch to claim the day by a neck, with Julia Shining 1 1/2 lengths back in third.
While Wonder Wheel and Julia Shining are both open to improvement, and doubtless both prepped with the first Friday in May in mind, the Suncoast marked a significant move forward for Dreaming of Snow. She commenced her career at Colonial Downs last September, taking a six-furlong maiden special weight. Returning to Florida, she finished fourth in the Sandpiper Stakes, then landed a six-furlong allowance at Tampa, going wire to wire to score by 8 1/2 lengths. She'd already made one start this year, finishing fourth, beaten 4 1/2 lengths, in the Gasparilla Stakes, again at Tampa.
Dreaming of Snow is from the third crop of Jess's Dream (other than a single foal born to Southern Hemisphere time). Jess's Dream started but once, capturing a nine-furlong maiden special weight over nine furlongs at Saratoga Race Course at 3. What he lacked in race record, however, he more than made up for with a pedigree that is unique, at least for any stallion currently standing in the U.S., as he's by a Horse of the Year—actually a two-time earner of that award—Curlin , out of a Horse of the Year, Rachel Alexandra. Note that this is quite a stout pedigree, and it's probably significant that Dreaming of Snow's forward move came this first time she contested something longer than a sprint.
Some fascinating coincidences surround the result of the Suncoast Stakes. Jess's Dream, a foal of 2012, was named for Jess Jackson, who owned Curlin and Rachel Alexandra and died in 2011. Julia Shining, also by Curlin, is owned by Jackson's widow, Barbara Banke, and Julia Shining is named for their daughter Julia Jackson.
Given that he's never stood for a fee of more than $5,000—he's advertised at $3,000 for the current season—Jess's Dream has a very creditable record at stud. With his oldest runners only 5, he's had five stakes winners from 121 starters, also including Chess's Dream, successful in the Kitten's Joy Stakes (G3); Sweet Dani Girl, who took the Myrtlewood Stakes and Sunshine Filly and Mare Turf; and the Arlington-Washington Lassie Stakes scorer Chacalosa.
Dreaming of Snow's dam, Snow Fashion, by the Unbridled's Song horse Old Fashioned, never ran, but she's dam of three multiple winners with her first three foals, the others including the black-type placed Daddy Long Legs colt Montauk Daddy. Like Dreaming of Snow, Snow Fashion's dam, Snow Lass, also enjoyed her finest moment at Tampa Bay Downs, capturing the Sophomore Fillies Stakes. By Stormy Atlantic, Snow Lass is a sister to Atlantic Frost, a three-time stakes winner who is also granddam of Network Effect, successful in the Big Drama Stakes and runner-up in the Metropolitan Handicap (G1) and Carter Handicap (G1). She's also a three-quarters sister to another winner of a Tampa black-type event, Wild About Chrome, who is by Stormy Atlantic's son Indian Ocean.
Snow Fashion's second dam, Keri's Snowman (by Frosty the Snowman, a son of His Majesty) never ran, but is a sister to Palliser Bay, whose three black-type wins include the Gallorette Handicap (G3). Palliser Bay went on to significant success as a broodmare as she appears as the dam of the Iowa Oaks (G3) victress He Loves Me and of the multiple stakes winner For Kisses, granddam of the Marine Stakes (G3) winner Easy Time, and stakes winner Softly Lit, and third dam of the Commonweath Turf Stakes (G3) winner Mr. Dumas. Keri's Snowman is also half sister to stakes placed Skip, the granddam of the Malibu Stakes (G1) victor M One Rifle.
Dreaming of Snow's fourth dam, Caro Keri, is an unraced daughter of stakes winner Brokerette, herself a half sister to graded scorer Adorable Micol, from whom descend such as Adcat, Adorydar, Ruthian, Rutherienne, Ruthenia, and Icabad Crane. Snow Fashion, Snow Lass, and Keri's Snowman were all bred by Bridlewood Farm, or its then-owner, the late Arthur I. Appleton, but Brokerette and her dam, Turn to Me, stem from a famous family developed in Maryland by Christiana Stables.
Turn to Me was out of the Christiana-bred Tempted, champion Older Mare of 1959, and the next dam, Enchanted Eve, is ancestress of such as French Derby (G1) winner Polytain; English 1,000 Guineas (G1) heroine Wince; and group and grade 1 winners Contredance, Skimming, Lazy Slusan, King of the Heap, Quiff, Last Full Measure, and Valiance. Turn to Me is herself is three-parts sister to Futurity Stakes winner Salem, to graded stakes winner Pumpkin Moonshine, and to stakes winners Tingle Stone and Pinch Pie, who were all by Cyane out of daughters of Enchanted Eve.
This is one of the longest-standing North American families, as it traces all the way back to an unnamed daughter of the stallion Cub, who was imported to New York from England about a decade prior to the Revolutionary War. More than a century later, The Cub Mare's U.S.-foaled descendant Sibola would return to Europe to capture the English One Thousand Guineas. Subsequently, Sibola appeared as third dam of undefeated Nearco, twice Leading Sire in England, and the grandsire of Northern Dancer. Caro Keri—fourth dam of Dreaming of Snow—has another injection of this family as Caro's sire, Fortino II, is a by a grandson of Nearco, and is out of a mare whose third dam is a half sister to Nearco. Dreaming of Snow's dam is notably inbred 4x4 to Caro.
Dreaming of Snow follows Chacalosa as the second stakes winner from five starters by Jess's Dream from Unbridled's Song line mares, and the Curlin/Unbridled's Song cross has produced three other stakes winners, headed by last year's Sorrento Stakes (G2) winner, Vegas Magic.
